Back in business? 'Wozilroy' soaking up the sun at Duabi golf classic

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Updated 1:32 PM ET, Thu November 14, 2013

Sport's power couple back together?10 photos

Wozilroy rekindled? – Despite rumors the pair had split, two-time major winner Rory McIlroy and former tennis World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki were pictured together at the Dubai World Tour Championship. "It was nice," McIlroy was quoted as saying by The Guardian newspaper of Wozniacki's arrival. "She started her preseason a couple of days ago and was on court this morning at seven o'clock. It's good to have her here."

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Sport's power couple back together?10 photos

A different Rory? – Despite Wozniacki's support, McIlroy had a frustrating day on the course, finishing on one-under-par and showing his disgust at some of his shots. Still after his round he said: "It's good that the game is back on track."

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Sport's power couple back together?10 photos

Woz the story – Wozniacki was all smiles as she followed McIlroy round the course. She is in Dubai beginning her preparations for the new tennis season. Her appearance confounded stories that the pair were no longer an item.

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Sport's power couple back together?10 photos

Air force – Dubai usually pulls out all the stops for the season-ending World Tour Championship and the Red Arrows staged a fly past before the action got underway at the Jumeirah course.

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Sport's power couple back together?10 photos

Swede success? – Henrik Stenson checks the wind during his opening round of four-under. He is the favorite to claim the Race to Dubai crown after a stellar season, which also saw him take the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup. If he were to win the European Tour's season finale he'd be the first golfer ever to do the double.

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Sport's power couple back together?10 photos

Poulter's pursuit – England's Ian Poulter is one player who could deny Stenson the title, and he is one shot behind the Swede after the opening day. If Poulter does win, Stenson will act as a drinks waiter on a night out for the pair thanks to a friendly bet they struck earlier in the year.

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Sport's power couple back together?10 photos

Rose to blossom? – Another Englishman, Justin Rose, has an outside chance to topple Stenson but must finish fifth or higher to be in the running. Rose, the 2013 U.S. Open champion, finished day one in Dubai on two-under.

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Sport's power couple back together?10 photos

Eyes on the prize – As ever, Dubai has laid on a few extra incentives for the golfers, who can win a BMW should they card a hole-in-one on the par three 17th. Stenson (pictured here) didn't manage it Thursday but as the order of merit leader he does get to stay in the top floor suite of the Atlantis hotel for the week, which normally retails for $35,000 (£22,000) per night.

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Sport's power couple back together?10 photos

Test drive – Prior to the tournament a clutch of the world's top players were offered the chance to play some crazy golf, competing to see who could land their ball closest to a floating target in the ocean off the 22nd floor of the Atlantis hotel.

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Sport's power couple back together?10 photos

A plaice to call home – England's Lee Westwood won the contest, sending a seven iron four feet from the target 235 yards away. His prize was a five night stay at one of the hotel's underwater suites, complete with his own aquarium full of 65,000 fishy inhabitants.

The Dane had tweeted a picture of McIlroy playing tennis the previous day as she begins her preparations for the new tennis season.

Crazy golf test makes Dubai splash 6 photos

Crazy golf test makes Dubai splash6 photos

Test drive – It's a par three, but not as we know it. A full 100 meters above sea level on the 22nd floor of the Atlantis Hotel, a clutch of the world's top golfers were set the challenge of hitting a tiny green in the ocean as part of the build up to the European Tour's 2013 finale in Dubai.

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Crazy golf test makes Dubai splash6 photos

Something fishy going on – The prize for the golfer who got nearest the target was a five-night stay in one of the two underwater suites at the Atlantis, complete with your own aquarium full of 65,000 fishy inhabitants. Regular punters would have to fork out nearly £5,000 ($7,846) a night to stay under the sea.

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Crazy golf test makes Dubai splash6 photos

Taking flight – Former world No. 1 and 2010 PGA Championship winner Martin Kaymer was among the group of golfers who took on a shot to nothing, aiming for a tiny target 235 yards out to sea.

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Crazy golf test makes Dubai splash6 photos

Go Westwood – England's Lee Westwood, also a former world No. 1, set the early pace, smashing a seven iron to within eight feet of the pin.

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Crazy golf test makes Dubai splash6 photos

Sealed with a seven iron – Despite FedEx Cup winner Henrik Stenson running him close, Westwood sent another golf ball sailing towards the target, landing this one four feet from the pin to seal victory and a five-night stay under the sea.

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Crazy golf test makes Dubai splash6 photos

What a nice plaice – Westwood comes face-to-face with his new fishy friends in the underwater suite. No doubt there will be a pack of sharks circling to take the title off the 40-year-old in next year's competition.

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Despite her support McIlroy occasionally cut a frustrated figure out on the Jumeirah course, carding an opening round of one-under-par, having been three under for his first four holes.

McIlroy is five shots off the lead, held by Spain's Alejandro Cañizares, with Henrik Stenson -- who is aiming to be the first golfer to win the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup series as well as the Race to Dubai -- on four-under.

"It's much better than it has been the last few months and I am playing better, which is important," McIlroy told the official European Tour website.

"It's good that the game is back on track. I have this event and two more so it would be great to get a win before the end of the season."

Sweden's Stenson carded a round of 68 -- his only bogey of the day coming after he missed a short putt on the final hole.

If making history wasn't enough motivation for Stenson perhaps his bet with another potential winner -- England's Ian Poulter -- might be.

Some months ago Stenson agreed to act as drinks waiter for the pair on a night out should Poulter overhaul him and get the 345,000 points he needs to win the Race to Dubai title.

At his pre-tournament press conference Stenson told reporters: "That's probably my biggest motivation, not to become his servant for a day. He is certainly not going off that bet and I know he is up my tail."

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But Stenson is well placed to fend off the challenge of Poulter, as well as other potential winners, 2013 U.S. Open champion Justin Rose and Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, who won the U.S. Open in 2010.

"It has been a lot of hard work all season and I just let my focus slip on the last," Stenson told the official European Tour website of his solitary bogey.

"That sucks, but I am still in good shape and playing nicely. The guys are running on fumes so everybody is looking forward to getting done.

"You can't win a tournament on Thursday but you can certainly play your way out of it. I would have taken four-under at the start of the day so I just have to let the disappointment of the last slip away."

Poulter is only a shot further back but was frustrated he didn't make more of the opportunities he gave himself.

"I am annoyed," Poulter said. "I made two putts which were outside birdie chances and took a couple more but the rest were missed. I am frustrated but happy to be only three behind.

"I need to continue to be aggressive and see if I can nick it at the end. It's a good mix to be really angry being three under par and still being in there for the next three days."